The Deer Isle Archipelago is a large group of public islands located just south of Stonington on the coast of Maine. The islands consist of rugged granite and thick forest landscape, offering some of the best scenery and paddling on the coast. The area does experience a lot of boat traffic and fog can also present a challenge. Exploring within the islands is fairly protected but take caution when crossing Merchant Row and Deer Isle Thorofare boating channels.

Somes Sound is located in the lower middle section of Mount Desert Island and is known for its scenic shoreline and protected waters. The deep body of water is a great place for relaxing half-day paddle trips on the coast. This trip starts from the picnic area off of Sargent Drive and follows the western shoreline of the sound south to Valley Cove. Valley Cove is a great place to pull off and picnic and hike around before returning back.

Exploring the shoreline of Great Wass Island offers an enjoyable paddle with plenty of wilderness scenery and great wildlife viewing opportunity. Great Wass Island is the largest island in the Great Wass Archipelago and offers over 1500 acres of nature preserve. The island also offers some great hiking trails. This trip starts from the launch on the north of the island and follows the eastern shoreline down to Cape Cove. The southernmost part of the island experiences a lot of fog so it is best to return the way you came before getting too far south.

Paddling between Rockport and Camden provides visitors some of the best coastal scenery that Maine has to offer. Along the route paddlers will enjoy views of picturesque harbors, charming, villages, and beautiful blue waters out in the bay. The area is also great for viewing all types of watercraft including impressive yachts and sailboats. The harbors are also a lot of fun to visit once you have landed. The waters are fairly exposed and can be rough during windy conditions.

Allagash Lake is a remote and scenic lake that is part of the Allagash headwaters in northwest Maine. The lake offers some of the most secluded and picturesque paddling in the area and is a must-do if visiting the area. The large lake can be accessed from a carry-in site off Upper Allagash Stream almost 4 miles upstream. There are camping sites located on the lake for overnight trips. The lake also has some great fishing and some ice caves that are fun to explore on the northwest side. Another option to access the lake is a from a portage trail located on the south end of the lake.

The trip down the Chandler River into Englishman Bay is a short and protected paddling route that travels into some of the most scenic water of coastal Maine. Paddlers can launch just southeast of Jonesboro and travel south into the bay. Be sure to paddle during the top two-thirds of the tide or getting stuck in mud could be a real possibility.

Paddling the protected waters of the Machias River offers excellent scenery and abundant wildlife viewing for paddlers. The area is especially known for great eagle watching. The river channel travels through marshes and mudflats and can be traveled regardless of tide but there is a lot more water to work with during the top half of the tide. The trip can be done as an out-and-back or as a one-way by parking a car and taking out in Machiasport.

Somes Sound is located in the lower middle section of Mount Desert Island and is known for its scenic shoreline and protected waters. The deep body of water is a great place for relaxing half-day paddle trips on the coast near Acadia National Park. This trip starts from the picnic area off of Sargent Drive and follows the eastern shoreline of the sound up and around to Somes Harbor and back. The sound is fairly protected but rough winds can make for tough paddling and there is some boat traffic near the harbor.

This out-and-back paddle follows a scenic wooded shoreline from Round Pond down to the Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve. The preserve includes a tide pool where Rachel Carson gathered a lot of information for her book and some interesting exposed bedrock formations as well. The preserve is a great place to stop for a picnic and hike around. Strong offshore winds can result in challenging paddling conditions so pay close attention to the weather conditions before making the trip.

The Mount Desert Narrows is the channel that runs north of Mount Desert Island, connecting Frenchman Bay to Blue Hill Bay. Paddling along the channel following the Mount Desert shoreline from the Thompson Island picnic area towards Frenchman Bay offers a scenic route along mostly undeveloped shoreline where lots of wildlife can be seen. There is a swift current at the Route 3 bridge to be aware of, and westerly winds down the channel can also result in some choppier waters.